Iskaral Pust
Iskaral Pust puhstTen Very Big Books podcast As pronounced by Steven Erikson at 01:19:25 was an old Dal HoneseDeadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, UK MMPB p.342 High Priest of Shadow,Deadhouse Gates, Dramatis Personae, UK MMPB p.17 and the Magus of High House Shadow who lived in Tesem, an abandoned monastery in Seven Cities.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, UK MMPB p.111 He claimed to be Shadowthrone's chosen mortal and Master of Rashan, Meanas, and Thyr.House of Chains, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.551 Pust was a scrawny figure whose subtly misshapen tattooed head was hairless except for a wild curly grey and black tangle over the ears. He had a large hawk nose, tufts of a wiry grey beard, perfect white teeth, and skin like dark honey. His eyebrows beetled and knotted to match the battling emotions on the wrinkled face beneath them.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US HC p.59-60Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.75-76 He was accompanied by an unnamed manservant (who had one arm which was a different colour than the other), and had an obsession with sweeping his temple clean and free of spiders. He had a habit of speaking all of his thoughts aloud, but appeared unaware that anyone within hearing distance had full access to his opinions and schemes.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.295 The large number of bhoka'rala who shared his home worshipped him as a god, which enraged the priest who saw them as little more than vermin.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.293 Pust's own face shared disturbing similarities with the creatures.House of Chains, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.459 His wife was Mogora, revealed to be a Dal Honese D'ivers witch who tranformed into spiders — possibly the source of Pust's phobia. Husband and wife each bore a startling resemblance to the other.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 24, UK MMPB p.926 Pust spoke the secret Man's Language, which was admittedly gibberish designed to specifically confound women.The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.419 As a High Priest of Shadow, he was an accomplished surgeon, healer, and alchemist, although he sometimes mistook poisons for healing elixirs.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.223 He also possessed the power to disguise his presence within a deep cloak of shadow and could read the Deck of Dragons.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.224Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 6, US HC p.164 Pust frequently referred to his cherished god, Shadowthrone, as being idiotic or insane.The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.417The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US SFBC p.70 Mule Pust possessed a "strange-looking" and seriously mysterious (sometimes black), (sometimes male), 'Mule', which was sometimes a mule but which was sometimes clearly something else. Pust rode it cross-legged using a high wooden saddle.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.75/76The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US HC p.334-335/336-338The Bonehunters, Chapter 16, US HC p.522Toll the Hounds, Chapter 3, US TPB p.89Toll the Hounds, Chapter 11, US TPB p.301/302 The mule usually seemed just as likely to bite Pust as it was to follow his commands.The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.413 In Deadhouse Gates ] Iskaral Pust pursued multiple schemes in service of Shadow. It was the High Priest who planted the Path of Hands as a false trail for Soletaken and D'ivers to travel to Tremorlor.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 24, UK MMPB p.927 This simultaneously led the dangerous creatures away from the true gate and set them up for imprisonment within the Azath House.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.441-442 Icarium and Mappo Runt stumbled upon Pust and the abandoned monastery, Tesem, which was now a Temple of Shadow, in their trek across the Pan'potsun Odhan in Seven Cities.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 2, US HC p.75 Invited inside, they explored Tesem and discovered the hidden gate which they deduced was sought by followers of the Path of Hands.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 4, US HC p.115 The presence of two powerful guardians served Pust's need to protect the gate.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.292 They were later joined by Fiddler, Apsalar, and Crokus who were making their own way across the Odhan.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 8, US HC p.221 Pust told Apsalar and Crokus that Fiddler sought the Azath House in the desert (also known as Tremorlor) to secure fast passage to Malaz City. Apsalar's father, Rellock, was revealed to be Pust's servant who made a bargain with Shadowthrone to serve High House Shadow in exchange for Apsalar's life and a new arm to replace the one he had lost. Pust used the relationship in an attempt to manipulate Apsalar into taking on the role of Sha'ik Reborn as well as maneuver Icarium to Tremorlor where the dangerous Jhag could also be imprisoned.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 11, US HC p.295-296Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 22, US HC p.554 In both of these goals he was unsuccessful. Pust accompanied the others to Tremorlor bringing the Hounds of Shadow to help eradicate the most powerful of the surviving Soletaken and D'ivers.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 16, US HC p.442 After the Path of Hands had ended, Pust returned home alone to discover that Mogora infested his clothing as a pack of spiders. After berating each other, he invited her inside to serve as his new cook.Deadhouse Gates, Chapter 24, US HC p.592-594 In House of Chains ] Pust and Mogora were now married, a marriage Pust considered perfect because they had not seen each other for months. Pust hid in Tesem's shadows while Mogora stalked the halls hunting him.House of Chains, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.459-460 After Kalam Mekhar was nearly killed in the desert by a demon-possessed bull Enkar'al, Pust was brought to him by an Azalan demon. The High Priest of Shadow had been expecting the assassin as well as the bag of diamonds he carried. Pust brought Kalam back to Tesem and healed him with salves and magic.House of Chains, Chapter 12, US SFBC p.458-459 To speed Kalam on his way, Pust gave back some of the diamonds the assassin had delivered. Then they travelled by warren to the edge of the Whirlwind where Pust summoned the Azalan demon to carry Kalam inside undetected.House of Chains, Chapter 16, US SFBC p.551-552 Later Pust welcomed Cutter and Apsalar back to TesemHouse of Chains, Chapter 20, US SFBC p.674-675 before riding out into the desert on his mule to return with Heboric, Felisin Younger, Scillara, and Greyfrog.House of Chains, Chapter 26, US SFBC p.847 In The Bonehunters Shadowthrone summoned Iskaral Pust before him and Cotillion at the Throne of Shadow and gave him instructions for the coming days. After sending Pust away, the two Ascendants agreed that Pust had significant drawbacks, but that he would "just have to do". Cotillion, in particular, felt that Pust's involvement was a bad idea.The Bonehunters, Chapter 2, US HC p.59-60 At Shadowthrone's command, Pust travelled by mule through the Warren of Shadow to the cliff where Mappo Runt and Icarium had been ambushed and grievously wounded by the T'rolbarahl D'ivers, Dejim Nebrahl. Pust used his magic to drive the murderous Dejim away from a passing caravan before locating Mappo's dying body pinned in a crevice. Mogora, who had secretly followed the High Priest, took over Pust's efforts to magically heal the Trell. As she did so, Pust retired to the tent and stone-ringed hearth that may or may not have been erected by his mule while the married couple argued.The Bonehunters, Chapter 9, US SFBC p.413-420 Cotillion found himself impressed by the power Pust unveiled in his clash with Dejim Nebrahl and told Pust that Shadowthrone had chosen his magus well.The Bonehunters, Chapter 12, UK MMPB p.614 In Toll the Hounds In the middle of a cobbled street in Darujhistan, Kruppe and Iskaral Pust engaged in a mounted mule charge against one another. Kruppe inadvertently punched Pust in the nose and Kruppe, Pust, Mogora (as spiders), and the Bhokarala all ended up toppling into a writhing heap upon the cobbles - a mass from which Kruppe somehow disappeared.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, UK HB p.860-862Toll the Hounds, Chapter 24, UK HB p.888/889 While being the Magus, he also plotted against Shadowthrone.Toll the Hounds, Chapter 23, US TPB p.771 Quotes Notes and references de:Iskaral Pust Category:Mages Category:Males Category:High House Shadow Category:Dal Honese Category:Denul mages